A senior gymnastics judge has been handed a four-year suspension for manipulating judging scores to assist a gymnast from her home country of Cyprus in qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
Evangelia Trikomiti was found to have “unduly interfered with the judges’ work” during the European Championships in rhythmic gymnastics last May, which enabled athlete Vera Tugolukova to secure her Olympic spot. This decision was disclosed by the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation, which conducted the investigation into the matter.
Tugolukova, who changed her national eligibility from Russia to Cyprus in 2022, finished 16th in the individual all-around event at the Olympics. She also represented Cyprus by carrying the national flag during the closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
Trikomiti’s influence on the scoring process at the Budapest European qualifier resulted in a loss of Olympic eligibility for 15-year-old Polish gymnast Liliana Lewi?ska. Allegations against Trikomiti were raised by the Polish gymnastics federation, leading to charges from the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation in July, just three days prior to the opening of the Olympics. As a result, Trikomiti was suspended provisionally and removed from her Olympic duties.
Despite the investigation, it did not prevent Tugolukova from competing in Paris since the GEF clarified that they could not intervene in decisions made on the field of play during the May event.
Trikomiti faced disciplinary action for reportedly violating the International Gymnastics Federation’s code of ethics, which mandates complete impartiality and adherence to the governing rules of the sport.
At a hearing in December, two judges who participated in the Olympic qualifying event provided testimony against Trikomiti before an independent three-member arbitration panel.
In defense, Trikomiti’s legal team argued that the witnesses against her exhibited clear biases, rendering their testimonies unreliable, and maintained that she only shared a nationality with Tugolukova.
Ultimately, Trikomiti received a four-year ban from judging but is still allowed to coach. Additionally, European Gymnastics, where Trikomiti holds a position on the executive committee, has been ordered to contribute €8,000 (approximately $8,300) toward the investigation costs.
The director of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation, Alex McLin, released a statement emphasizing the organization’s commitment to preserving fair competition and ensuring adherence to sports integrity rules.
Established in 2019 and backed by the FIG, the GEF aims to protect athletes in the wake of previous scandals, including disturbing instances of sexual abuse involving a former U.S. team doctor. In a recent statement, the foundation acknowledged the vital contributions of informants and whistleblowers in its efforts.
